Former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter honored with post office dedication

Speakers described the former first family as staying true to their small-town roots in their journey to the White House. But Chenise LeDoux, Southern Area Vice President for USPS, says it was their work after that — building homes, fighting diseases, and promoting peace with the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity — that made the name dedication a no-brainer.

PLAINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Today, the United States Postal Service office in Plains was renamed in honor of the 39th U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, and his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

The building now known as the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office means a great deal to the Carter family.

“When dad ran for office, state senate and governor, he sent thousands of pieces of mail through the Plains post office so it would be postmarked from his hometown,” said James Earl “Chip” Carter III, the son of the late couple. “So, it’s a great honor to have their name on it.

Plains, Georgia had a population of 573 in the 2020 Census. Chip Carter says his parents would have appreciated the dedication, as the community relies heavily on tourism related to his father’s presidency.

“I think they would be excited and hopeful that Plains will thrive,” Carter said. 

Speakers described the former first family as staying true to their small-town roots in their journey to the White House. But Chenise LeDoux, Southern Area Vice President for USPS, says it was their work after that — building homes, fighting diseases, and promoting peace with the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity — that made the name dedication a no-brainer.

“They were excellent public servants with their humanitarian work,” LeDoux said. “With that, it was no issue with them passing them the bill for us to rename this post office.”

LeDoux called President Carter an advocate for the postal service, and he was known to write love letters to his wife during his time serving in the U.S. Navy. Through the post office renaming, Chip says he hopes his parents can continue to inspire.

 “Hopefully, people will notice it and maybe make them a little more willing to help people that need the help,” Carter said. 

The post office renaming comes as result of H.R. 9600, which was introduced by Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), and passed in January.